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To grow basil, sow seeds in the spring and throughout the summer. Keep soil fertile and moist, without overwatering. If planting basil in containers, well-drained clay pots are best. Starter basil plants can be purchased and planted in lieu of seeds, whether growing in the garden or containers. Because basil is an annual herb (as opposed to a perennial herb), it must be replanted every year.
Cooking With Basil
Basil’s most obvious companion is the tomato, and is often used in salads, tomato sauces, and tomato-based soups. To whip up a simple Caprese salad [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], place basil on top of salted tomato slices and top with fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. To add dimension to this favorite summer recipe [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], place the entire tomato-basil combination atop of a slice of grilled eggplant.
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Basil also complements onions and peppers, and therefore is commonly added to salads, stir-fry, and other dishes that host these vegetables. Basil enhances the distinct flavors of eggs, poultry, and pork – sprinkle it over omelets or over chicken or pork before baking, roasting, or grilling. The herb also nicely counterbalances some fatty oils, such as those found in heavy cream sauces. The sweet tones of basil make it a refreshing ingredient in custards, syrups, and fruit desse
Basil is a common summer herb, used fresh or dried in countless recipes, with gentle holistic attributes. The most widely known type of basil is appropriately referred to as common basil, and also known as sweet basil or bush basil; other types of basil include lemon basil, holy basil, and purple basil. Sweet basil sprouts green, medium-sized leaves, boasting a scent and flavor that hints of cinnamon, licorice, and mint.
Drying Basil
Pick basil leaves anytime throughout the course of the plant’s growing season. Pinch the leaves toward the tips of branches or off-shoots to encourage new growth to branch out. For best quality, pick younger stems with glossy leaves. The basil plant stops growing leaves and loses flavor when it flowers, so pinch off flower buds as they appear. At the very least, pick the basil leaves before the flowers open.
To dry basil, place freshly plucked leaves in a single layer without overlapping on a cheese cloth or other airy surface [link widoczny dla zalogowanych], such as a coffee filter. Keep the drying herbs in a well-ventilated space out of direct sunlight. Allow the basil to dry for two weeks or until the dense green color fades and the leaves become brittle and crumble easily.
Growing Basil
Crush the leaves and store the dried basil in glass jars with tight fitting lids. As the essential oils of basil evaporate, the herb loses flavor; use dried basil within four to six weeks for optimal taste, and discard any unused dried basil after six months of drying.
Basil plants thrive on full sun for about six hours per day. If growing basil indoors, set the plant on a sunny window sill. The essential oils in basil plants are what give the herb its natural flavor. The more heat and sun basil leaves absorb, the more lucrative the oil production, and the more potent the taste and aroma.
Fresh basil and dried basil have distinct flavors; a recipe that calls for fresh basil may taste quite different if prepared with dried basil. To maximize flavor when cooking with fresh basil, tear the leaves rather than chop them. Also, the flavor of basil intensifies as it cooks. For a subtler basil flavor, add it raw or toward the end of cooking, and in small amounts to avoid over-powering other flavors.